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Plaque in the churchyard wall (NJ90NE0017) commemorating the efforts of George Davidsone, who died in 1663. Davidsone had started off as an itinerant drapery salesman, or chapman. He was very successful and made a fortune. In his later career he was a successful grain merchant and banker. During his life he purchased a number of lands around the Aberdeen hinterland, including the lands of Bogfairley and Newhills. He died a wealthy, but unmarried man in 1663 and is buried beside the west gate of St Nicholas Churchyard, Aberdeen, where a fine and grand stone monument remains. He was a great patron of many different causes. He arranged for a bridge to be built across the Bucksburn, in the Newhills area of Aberdeen. It is said that he had seen a traveller drown whilst trying to cross the Bucksburn and had vowed to see a bridge built. He also repaired the bridge at Inch, in Aberdeenshire. However his greatest patronage lay with the church. He mortified, or legally made over, his lands of Bogfairly and Newhills for the purpose of erecting a church in Newhills and also to provide an stipend for a minister there. The church was begun in 1662, one year prior to his death. This plaque was erected in 1650 to commemorate his contribution to enclosing St Clement's churchyard with a dyke. St Clement's was the parish church of the Fittie, or Footdee, area of Aberdeen. The church had fallen out of use, possibly by the time of the Reformation, of 1560. In 1631 he and several others had subscribed money in order for the church to be reinstated. He also bequeathed monies both for the poor of Fittie and a separate bequest for the upkeep of the dyke. It may be that the wall, or dyke, he had built was swept away during renovations to the church and churchyard in 1787. The plaque features a coat of arms, which are unusual, and it has been suggested that they are the arms of (or relate to the arms of) the Cairnbrogie family, from which family it has been said Davidsone was descended. However as the details of his early life are lost there is no way to prove this family connection. Moreover the arms are not those of the Cairnbrogie family, whilst there is no record of a grant of arms ever having been made to Davidsone Thus he may not have had any rights to a coat of arms. Perhaps these arms are testimony to the way that Davidsone wanted to see himself in society. Certainly his religious, and other patronage are eloquent testimony to the man and his desire to be remembered and to effect good works. On his memorial in St Nicholas churchyard there is an empty niche where his arms (if he had any) ought to be.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Aberdeen City
HER -
NJ90NE0065 - EAST ST CLEMENT'S CHURCH